U.S. patent application number 16/340195 was filed with the patent office on 2019-10-10 for low-, medium- and/or high-voltage installation with a bonded current path connection with long-term stability by means of nanoma.
The applicant listed for this patent is SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT. Invention is credited to PHILIPP LAST, DIRK POHLE, CHRISTIAN WERNER, KIRA BERDIEN WUESTENBERG.
Application Number | 20190312363 16/340195 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59923419 |
Filed Date | 2019-10-10 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190312363 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
POHLE; DIRK ; et
al. |
October 10, 2019 |
LOW-, MEDIUM- AND/OR HIGH-VOLTAGE INSTALLATION WITH A BONDED
CURRENT PATH CONNECTION WITH LONG-TERM STABILITY BY MEANS OF
NANOMATERIALS, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAID CURRENT PATH
CONNECTION
Abstract
A method for establishing a materially bonded current path
connection in low-voltage, medium-voltage and/or high-voltage
installations having long-term stability includes providing a first
part and/or a second part of a current path with a nanomaterial at
least in one region. The first part and the second part of the
current path are force-lockingly or form-lockingly connected at
least in the respective regions. A supply of a reaction energy
together with the nanomaterial creates a conductive and bonded
connection between the first part and the second part of the
current path. A low-voltage installation, a medium-voltage
installation and/or a high-voltage installation is also
provided.
Inventors: |
POHLE; DIRK; (FORCHHEIM,
DE) ; LAST; PHILIPP; (BERLIN, DE) ;
WUESTENBERG; KIRA BERDIEN; (BERLIN, DE) ; WERNER;
CHRISTIAN; (FALKENSEE, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT |
MUENCHEN |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
59923419 |
Appl. No.: |
16/340195 |
Filed: |
September 15, 2017 |
PCT Filed: |
September 15, 2017 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2017/073246 |
371 Date: |
April 8, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 4/18 20130101; H01R
43/02 20130101; H01R 4/06 20130101; H01R 4/04 20130101; H01R 4/187
20130101; H01R 4/02 20130101; H01R 4/029 20130101; H01R 4/58
20130101; H01R 4/28 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01R 4/02 20060101
H01R004/02; H01R 4/58 20060101 H01R004/58; H01R 4/18 20060101
H01R004/18; H01R 43/02 20060101 H01R043/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 6, 2016 |
DE |
10 2016 219 374.0 |
Claims
1-12. (canceled)
13. A method for establishing a materially bonded current path
connection in at least one of low-voltage, medium-voltage or
high-voltage installations having a current path with at least one
first portion and one second portion, the method comprising the
following steps: providing a nanomaterial in at least one region of
at least one of the first portion or the second portion of the
current path; connecting the first portion and the second portion
of the current path to one another in at least one of a
force-locking or form-locking manner at least in the respective
regions; and forming a conductive and materially bonded connection
between the first portion and the second portion of the current
path with participation of the nanomaterial by supplying reaction
energy.
14. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises:
placing the nanomaterial between the respective regions of the
first portion and the second portion of the current path being
connected to one another in at least one of a force-locking or
form-locking manner, or extending the nanomaterial beyond the
respective regions of at least one of the first portion or the
second portion of the current path.
15. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises
forming the first portion and the second portion of the current
path from at least one of an identical conductive material or an
identical material combination.
16. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises
providing the nanomaterial by at least one of: applying the
nanomaterial to the respective region of at least one of the first
portion or of the second portion of the current path, or including
the nanomaterial on the respective region of at least one of the
first portion or the second portion of the current path as at least
one of a paste, a foil, a powder or a precursor.
17. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises using
at least one connecting device to connect the first portion and the
second portion of the current path in a force-locking manner in at
least one region.
18. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises
providing the connecting device as at least one of screws, rivets
or clamps.
19. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises
providing at least one of: the first portion of the current path as
an electrically conductive and flexible current conductor or a pole
head or a current conductor clamp, or the second portion of the
current path as a connection: to a moving contact or fixed contact
of a vacuum interrupter, to a transformer, or to a busbar.
20. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises
supplying the reaction energy to lead to a materially bonded
connection between the first portion and the second portion of the
current path, the materially bonded connection being locally
limited to the first portion of the current path adjoining the
nanomaterial and the second portion of the current path adjoining
the nanomaterial.
21. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises
supplying the reaction energy: to the nanomaterial as at least one
of thermal energy or electrical energy, or in another form being
converted into at least one of thermal energy or electrical energy
at least one of in or on the nanomaterial.
22. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises
providing the materially bonded connection of the first portion and
the second portion of the current path and the nanomaterial by at
least one of: creating the materially bonded connection by
supplying the reaction energy, or basing the materially bonded
connection on a sintering process of the nanomaterial, or including
a sintering process in the materially bonded connection, or basing
the materially bonded connection on welding of the first portion
and the second portion of the current path due to an exothermic
reaction of the nanomaterial or of a portion of the
nanomaterial.
23. An installation for at least one of low-voltage, medium-voltage
or high-voltage, the installation comprising: a current path having
at least one first portion and one second portion; a nanomaterial
in at least one region of at least one of said first portion or
said second portion of said current path; said first portion and
said second portion of said current path being connected to one
another in at least one of a force-locking or form-locking manner
at least in said respective regions; and a conductive and
materially bonded connection formed between said first portion and
said second portion of said current path with participation of said
nanomaterial due to supplied reaction energy.
24. An installation for at least one of low-voltage, medium-voltage
or high-voltage, the installation comprising: a current path having
a first portion and a second portion; and at least one
force-locking and materially bonded connection of said first
portion to said second portion of said current path.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a method for establishing a
materially bonded current path connection in low-, medium- and/or
high-voltage installations, and to a low-, medium-voltage
installation and/or high-voltage installation with a materially
bonded current path connection with long-term stability.
[0002] In low-voltage installations, medium-voltage installations
and high-voltage installations, the current is carried by means of
lines, in the so-called current path. The same applies to low-,
medium- and high-voltage switching devices which are also intended
to be covered by the terms low-, medium-voltage installations and
high-voltage installations in the text which follows.
[0003] When carrying the rated current in a conductor, heat is
produced due to the non-reactive resistance of the current path of
the switchgear installation. In order to guarantee long-term
functionality of the switchgear installations, it is necessary to
ensure that the components which are installed in the device, in
particular the conductors which form current paths, withstand this
heating over the long term. Since, in connection with switching
devices, the long term generally refers to the entire service life
of the switching device, particular requirements are made of the
current paths of the switchgear installations.
[0004] In this context, force-locking connecting points in the
current path in particular are considered to be critical.
Force-locking connecting points of this kind, generally screw
points or clamping points, run the risk of their resistance
increasing to a considerable extent over the course of the service
life due to, for example, corrosion. An increase in the resistance
in the current path necessarily leads to higher temperatures in the
affected regions. This entails the risk of critical temperatures
being reached and/or exceeded, with the result that the switchgear
installation is no longer suitable for carrying the intended rated
current under the potential or prespecified environmental
conditions.
[0005] This is particularly critical since force-locking
connections usually have a higher electrical resistance than other
types of connections and therefore exacerbate the heating problem
or said heating problem only occurs as a result.
[0006] The problem of increasing the resistance in force-locking
connections over the course of the service life of a switchgear
installation is addressed in the prior art by the use of materially
bonded connections, weld connections or solder connections.
[0007] However, establishing weld or solder connections is
generally associated with an increase in the temperature of the
components which are to be connected. For sensitive components,
such as vacuum interrupters for example, or other
temperature-sensitive components and, in particular, plastic
components which are contained therein, cost-effective, simple
welding or soldering is very critical because there is a risk of
the process heat damaging or destroying said components during
joining and therefore the functioning of said components no longer
being guaranteed.
[0008] In the prior art, very expensive welding methods, such as
electron beam welding or laser welding for example, which lead only
to locally limited heating, in particular in the direct vicinity of
the connecting point, of the components which are to be connected,
are generally used for components of this kind.
[0009] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a
conductive connection, with long-term stability, for conducting
current in a switchgear installation, which connection remedies the
disadvantages of the prior art, and respectively to provide
cost-effective and less complicated production of connections of
electrical current paths.
[0010] This object is achieved by independent claims 1 and 12 and
the claims which are dependent on said independent claims.
[0011] One exemplary embodiment relates to a method for
establishing a materially bonded current path connection in
low-voltage installations, medium-voltage installations and/or
high-voltage installations, wherein a current path has at least one
first portion and one second portion. The first portion and/or the
second portion of the current path each contain a nanomaterial at
least in one region. The first and the second portion of the
current path are connected to one another in a force-locking and/or
form-locking manner at least in the respective regions. A
conductive and materially bonded connection between the first
portion and the second portion of the current path is formed, with
involvement of the nanomaterial, by supplying reaction energy. In
the text which follows, the nanomaterial may be present as such or
as a precursor of the nanomaterial, that is to say the actual
nanomaterial is formed from a precursor due to a reaction,
preferably by supplying reaction energy which also leads to the
formation of the materially bonded connection.
[0012] A nanomaterial is a material of which the individual units
or in which one or more dimensions lie in an order of magnitude of
between 1 and 1000 nanometers (10.sup.-9 meters, one billionth of a
meter), preferably between 1 and 100 nanometers.
[0013] Within the meaning of this application, the term "region" is
understood to mean the connecting region, that is to say the region
in which the first portion and the second portion of the current
path are connected to one another by means of the nanomaterial.
[0014] Within the meaning of this application, the term
"conductive" is understood to mean that the conductive portions of
a current path which are connected to one another are conductive
over the connection in such a way that loading with or below the
rated current of the switchgear installation does not lead to any
adverse effects in respect of functioning, not even to heating of
the connecting point which exceeds the permissible
temperatures.
[0015] Using the nanomaterial and changing the purely force-locking
connection into a materially bonded and/or force-locking connection
by supplying reaction energy ensures a connection with long-term
stability which, in accordance with standards, is classified as a
materially bonded connection and therefore also does not require
any additional expenditure on checking as in the case of
force-locking or form-locking connections for example.
[0016] In particular, a force-locking connection and/or a
form-locking connection, in which a pressure is exerted onto the
connecting point between the first portion of the current path and
the second portion of the current path, have/has a positive effect
on the formation of the materially bonded connection of the first
portion of the current path and the second portion of the current
path.
[0017] The nanomaterial is preferably located between the
respective regions of the first portion and of the second portion
of the current path which are connected to one another in a
force-locking and/or form-locking manner or the nanomaterial
extends beyond the respective regions of the first portion and/or
of the second portion of the current path.
[0018] Owing to the complete or virtually complete presence of
nanomaterial in the connecting region of the current path, a low
electrical resistance of the connecting region and/or a resistance
to aging is achieved. Here, the connecting region further means the
region in which the first portion and the second portion of the
current path are connected by means of the nanomaterial and the
force-locking connection and/or the form-locking connection.
[0019] Preference is further given to the first portion and the
second portion of the current path being formed from the same
conductive material and/or the same material combination. As an
alternative, the first portion and the second portion of the
current path can be formed from different conductive materials
and/or different material combinations, in particular copper and
silver or copper alloys and silver alloys are relevant for
different pairings.
[0020] Preference is also given to the nanomaterial and/or a
precursor of the nanomaterial being applied to the respective
region of the first and/or of the second portion of the current
path and/or being present on the respective region of the first
portion and/or of the second portion of the current path in the
form of a paste, a foil and/or a powder. Therefore, both the two
portions or only one portion of the current path which is to be
connected can contain the nanomaterial.
[0021] Particular preference is given to a foil being formed from
the nanomaterial, in particular by printing, particularly by screen
printing, or doctoring or painting onto a transfer material from
which the foil, which is produced by, for example, drying, curing
or pressing, can be released. As an alternative, the transfer
material can also be converted, incorporated into the connection or
removed when forming the materially bonded connection.
[0022] Preference is also given to the first portion and the second
portion of the current path being connected in a force-locking
manner by one or more connecting means. In particular, preference
is given to the respective regions of the first portion and of the
second portion of the current path being connected in a
force-locking manner by one or more connecting means. The
force-locking connection has the effect that a pressure acts on the
connecting point, this having a positive effect on forming the
connection of the first portion of the current path and the second
portion of the current path.
[0023] Particular preference is given to the connecting means being
formed with one or more means from amongst screws, rivets and/or
clamps.
[0024] Preference is also given to the first portion and the second
portion of the current path being connected to one another in a
form-locking manner.
[0025] Preference is also given to the first portion of the current
path being an electrically conductive and flexible current
conductor or a pole head or a current conductor clamp, and/or the
second portion of the current path being a connection to: [0026] a
moving contact or fixed contact of a vacuum interrupter; or [0027]
a transformer; or [0028] a busbar.
[0029] Preference is also given to supplying the reaction energy
leading to a reaction being locally limited to the first portion,
which adjoins the nanomaterial, and the second portion, which
adjoins the nanomaterial, of the current path to form a materially
bonded connection between the first portion and the second portion
of the current path.
[0030] Preference is further given to the reaction energy being
supplied to the nanomaterial in the form of thermal energy and/or
electrical energy, and/or the reaction energy being supplied in
another form and being converted into thermal energy and/or
electrical energy in and/or on the nanomaterial. However, it is
also possible to supply the reaction energy into the material in
the form of electromagnetic oscillations, waves and/or induced
oscillations and/or shock waves.
[0031] Preference is also given to the materially bonded connection
of the first portion, the second portion of the current path and
the nanomaterial, which materially bonded connection is created by
supplying the reaction energy, being based on a sintering process
of the nanomaterial or comprising a sintering process of the
nanomaterial and/or being based on welding and/or soldering of the
first portion and the second portion of the current path due to an
exothermic reaction of the nanomaterial or of a portion of the
nanomaterial. In the sintering process, the nanomaterial is
inherently connected and at least partially or completely connected
to the first and the second portion of the current path. During the
exothermic reaction, the first and the second portion of the
current path can be directly welded to one another and/or can be
welded with the incorporation of the nanomaterial or constituent
parts thereof and/or the first and the second portion of the
current path can be soldered with involvement of the nanomaterial
or further materials. In this case, the further materials can also
be, in particular, a constituent part of the nanomaterial or can
have been formed during the exothermic reaction.
[0032] Preference is also given to the nanomaterial containing
silver and/or a silver precursor.
[0033] Preference is also given to nanomaterial which contains
silver nanoparticles in agglomerates with dimensions in at least
one spatial direction of more than 90 nm, in particular more than
100 nm or 200 nm, and less than 300 nm; in particular preference is
also given to the silver nanoparticles being formed under a
corresponding reaction temperature and/or under corresponding
reaction conditions and having a size of from 1 nm to 20 nm in at
least one spatial direction.
[0034] Further preference is given to the silver nanoparticles
being at least partially formed by a reaction in an organometallic
precursor.
[0035] A further exemplary embodiment is a low-voltage
installation, medium-voltage installation and/or high-voltage
installation, wherein the low-voltage installation, medium-voltage
installation and/or high-voltage installation have/has a current
path, and have/has at least one connection of a first portion of
the current path to a second portion of the current path, wherein
the connection is force-locking and materially bonded.
[0036] A further exemplary embodiment is a low-voltage
installation, medium-voltage installation and/or high-voltage
installation, wherein the low-voltage installation, medium-voltage
installation and/or high-voltage installation have/has a current
path, wherein the current path is formed in accordance with one of
the embodiments above.
[0037] The subject matter of the invention will be explained in
more detail below with reference to three figures, in which:
[0038] FIG. 1: shows a materially bonded and force-locking
connection according to the invention of a first and a second
portion of a current path;
[0039] FIG. 2: shows a schematic illustration of a connection of a
vacuum interrupter to a conductive and flexible current conductor
by means of nanomaterials; and
[0040] FIG. 3: shows a flowchart of a method according to the
invention for establishing a materially bonded and force-locking
current path connection.
[0041] FIG. 1 shows a connection according to the invention in a
switchgear installation 1, not illustrated in any detail, wherein a
first portion 10 of a current path is connected to a second portion
20 of a current path in a force-locking manner by means of a
connecting means 40 and in a materially bonded manner by means of a
nanomaterial 30.
[0042] The force-locking connection 40 can be achieved, for
example, by screws, rivets and/or clamps. As an alternative to the
force-locking connection using a connecting means 40, a
form-locking connection--not shown here--can also be used. The
form-locking connection can be made, for example, by connecting
regions of the first and of the second portion of the current path
latching into one another or by shaping, for example pressing or
crimping.
[0043] FIG. 2 shows the connection of a vacuum interrupter 2 in a
switchgear installation 1, not illustrated in any detail, wherein
the moving contact connection 25 and the flexible current conductor
15 are firstly connected to one another in a force-locking manner
by means of a connecting means 40 and secondly are connected to one
another in a materially bonded manner by means of a nanomaterial
30. As an alternative--not shown here --, the moving contact bolt
25' and the flexible current conductor 15 can also firstly be
connected to one another in a force-locking manner by means of a
connecting means 40 and secondly be connected to one another in a
materially bonded manner by means of a nanomaterial 30. In this
example, the flexible current conductor 15 is connected in a
materially bonded manner to a further portion 50 of the current
path, wherein said materially bonded connection is a conventional
weld or solder connection.
[0044] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sequence of the method according to
the invention for establishing a materially bonded and form-locking
and/or form-locking connection of a first and a second portion of a
current path in a switchgear installation 1, in particular a
switchgear installation for medium voltages and/or high voltages.
In a first step 100, the first portion of a current path and/or the
second portion of a current path are provided with a nanomaterial
at least in one region, or the portions of the current path which
are provided with a nanomaterial are provided. This also includes
the nanomaterial being provided in the form of a foil or lattice
and the foil or the lattice being placed on the first portion of a
current path and/or the second portion of a current path or between
said first portion and second portion.
[0045] In a second step 200, a force-locking and/or form-locking
connection is created between the first portion of the current path
and the second portion of the current path.
[0046] In a third step 300, a conductive and materially bonded
connection between the first portion of the current path and the
second portion of the current path is established, with involvement
of the nanomaterial, by supplying reaction energy. In this case,
the nanomaterial can either form the conductive connection by a
process comprising a sintering process or can effect an exothermic
reaction, which welds the first portion of the current path to the
second portion of the current path, by supplying reaction
energy.
LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS
[0047] 1 Switchgear installation [0048] 2 Vacuum interrupter [0049]
10 First portion of a current path [0050] 15 Conductive, flexible
current conductor as first portion of the current path [0051] 20
Second portion of a current path [0052] 25 Moving contact
connection of a vacuum interrupter as second portion of the current
path [0053] 25' Moving contact bolt of a vacuum interrupter as
second portion of the current path [0054] 30 Nanomaterial [0055] 40
Connecting means, for example screw, rivet or clamp [0056] 50
Further portion of the current path [0057] 100 Step 1 [0058] 200
Step 2 [0059] 300 Step 3
* * * * *